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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: branch · net · tube · wax · nail · rash · spell · cabinet

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. net — for catching
  3. wax — to grow
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. branch — a division
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. net — after costs
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. rash — a series
  12. spell — a short time
  13. net — in sport
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. spell — magic
  19. spell — letters
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. tube — the underground
  22. tube — a container
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. rash — hasty

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com